Film processor chemical supply mechanism

ABSTRACT

A film processing machine for automatically processing a single strip of 35mm film by the insertion of a tray or package containing the different processing chemicals into the processor. The processor sequentially dumps the chemicals from the package for processing the film. The chemicals are dumped from individual cups of the chemical package into a reservoir in which the film is rotated for a predetermined period of time. The chemical is then dumped from the reservoir, a transport for the film chemical packages is then indexed and the second chemical is discharged from the package into the reservoir. This process continues until all of the chemicals have been dumped from the package and have been placed into the reservoir to process the film for the predetermined time intervals.

United States Patent [191 Collins et al.

[ 1 Aug. 26, 1975 1 1 FILM PROCESSOR CHEMICAL SUPPLY MECHANISM [73] Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn.

[22] Filed: Jan. 2, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 429,539

[52] US. Cl 134/57 R; 134/95; 134/100; 134/140; 134/149; 134/157; 222/54; 222/86 [51] Int. Cl B08b 3/04 [58] Field of Search.... 222/83, 83.5, 85, 86, 88, 222/54; 134/93, 94, 95, 100, 101, 140, 149, 157, 201, 57 R, 58 R 3,326,531 6/1967 Matheson 222/86 X 3,695,162 lO/l972 Wingml 134/95 P X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 421,143 3/1967 Switzerland 134/95 R Primary ExaminerRobert L. Bleutge Attorney, Agent, or FirmAlexander, Sell, Steldt & DeLaHunt [57] ABSTRACT A film processing machine for automatically processing a single strip of 35mm film by the insertion of a tray or package containing the different processing chemicals into the processor. The processor sequentially dumps the chemicals from the package for processing the film. The chemicals are dumped from individual cups of the chemical package into a reservoir in which the film is rotated for a predetermined period of time. The chemical is then dumped from the reservoir, a transport for the film chemical packages is then indexed and the second chemical is discharged from the package into the reservoir. This process continues until all of the chemicals have been dumped from the package and have been placed into the reservoir to process the film for the predetermined time intervals.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FILM PROCESSOR CHEMICAL SUPPLY MECHANISM FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an automatic film processor, and in one aspect to a processing solution handling system for automatically developing color transparency film by sequentially placing predetermined amounts of solutions for film processing into the processing reservorr.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior known processors permit one to place a roll of film in a basket and to place the basket in a reservoir filled with chemicals and to turn or move the basket and the film about in the chemical to process the film. After a predetermined amount of time the operator can dump the particular chemical solution and insert a new solution into the reservoir and continue the processing until the processing steps in the cycle are completed. In the prior known devices the operator pours the solutions from a container and measures the desired amount and places it in the reservoir for developing the strip of film. These known devices required a certain amount of technique, thus making them limited in application to a skilled technician or the hobbiest. They are not suited for the general office use where process-,

ing films to construct film presentations would be most helpful.

Other known automatic processors, which again are not for general office use, have large reservoirs for processing solutions which are connected by suitable tubing to an agitation reservoir. The reservoir will hold six to eight reels of 35mm film and the solutions are pumped in and out of the reservoir. The strength of the solutions is maintained by replenishing the solutions with the appropriate concentrate. These processors require darkroom loading, a trained operator, and the temperature of the machine and of the chemicals must be maintained within 1C of a specified temperature.

The device of the present invention however is designed for the automatic application of the bath solutions at any temperature within a predetermined temperature range, e.g., 18 to 25C, and the proccessing is carried out for a time interval that is correlated with the actual solution temperature. The user of the automatic processor is supplied a package of processing solutions, possibly including a wash solution, in predetermined measured amounts in individual containers. This package is placed in a support, and the support is then moved sequentially along a frame to a fluid receiving conduit which is adapted to puncture the containers and discharge the fluid therein into the film reservoir. The support and the individual packages permit the controlled development of the film using the proper chemical in the proper sequence and removes the possibility of error by the operator. 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A film processor for the processing of predetermined strips of film which processor includes a reservoir, a support for the film to permit its movement in the reservoir, and means for supplying processing solutions to the reservoir. The present invention provides for a novel means for supplying the processing solutions for the film processing and comprises a frame, a support movable along the frame and formed with wall means for receiving a properly orientated package containing a plurality of compartments each forming a container for a predetermined amount of a processing solution. The support is movable past a fluid receiving conduit which receives the solutions successively from the package and directs the solutions into the reservoir. Each solution is in the reservoir for a predetermined time and then the solution will be dumped into a waste receptacle. The support member wiil be advanced to position a second container of the package at the fluid receiving conduit and it will be drained into the reservoir. The fluid receiving conduit includes a device for rupturing the package to drain each container of the package as it is aligned with the conduit permitting the solution to be driven, expelled into the fluid receiving conduit. The support is driven, the device for rupturing the package, the dumping of the reservoir, etc., are all steps controlled by a circuit which energizes the respective components in a predetermined sequence.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a fragmentary plan view of a film processor constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the chemical transport for the film processor;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the support and drive for the support taken approximately along the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the control circuit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention is an improvement on film processors for the processing of strips of film such as a strip of 35mm film from the cassette of an amateur camera. The film processor comprises a housing which forms a light tight enclosure for a reservoir 5 in which is supported a film supporting basket in the form of a reel 6 for supporting a strip of exposed photographic film in a wound form with the convolutions radially spaced, and a solenoid 7 connected to the reservoir to tip the reservoir about an axis to dump the contents of the reservoir into a waste receptacle or tray 11. The reel is rotated within the reservoir 5 by means of a drive motor 12 connected to a drive sprocket which in turn is connected to the reel 6. At one end of the reservoir 5 is positioned a discharge chute 15 from a fluid receiving conduit 16, which chute is positioned over the edge of the reservoir permitting fluids discharged into the conduit 16 to be directed into the reservoir. A temperature sensor 17 in the form of a temperature sensitive variable impedance device is disposed in the reservoir to sense the solution temperature in the reservoir and send an input signal to the timer to adjust development time.

The fluid receiving conduit 16 is supported on a frame 18 comprising longitudinally extending channel shaped members 19, 20, and 21, extending between frame end members 22 and 24.

A support 25 is movably mounted on the frame 18 to place a package 26 of solutions for the chemical processing of the film adjacent to the fluid receiving conduit 16. The support comprises a base wall 27, a front wall 28 formed with a plurality of spaced apertures 29, a pair of vertical end walls and a plurality of vertically disposed longitudinally spaced walls 30 which divide the support into five compartments. The support 25 also has wall members 31 positioned between said vertical walls 30, and in the center section or compartment of the support 25 is positioned a clamp 32 which is pivoted about a pin 33. The clamp 32 secures the package 26 in position on the support and when the clamp 32 is released, the portion of the clamp extending past the pin 33 helps to raise and eject the package 26 from the support 25 when the clamp is moved to a release position. Secured beneath the base wall 27 and extending longitudinally of the support is a rack 34 formed with teeth on the lower surface to be engaged by a drive pinion for moving the support member along the frame. The lower surface is also formed with five cam surfaces or ribs 35 for actuating a sensing switch hereinafter described. The support 25 is guided during movement along the frame 18 by means of a pair of spaced studs 36 and 37 depending from the base wall 27 and extending through a slot 38 in the frame member 30. The vertical wall members 30 positioned interiorly of the end walls of the support are spaced from the front wall 28 permitting the package 26 to slide between the forward edges of the walls 30 and the front wall 28. A shoulder 39 is formed between the wall 28 and one of the walls 30 for properly locating the package 26.

The package 26 is a unitary structure formed with a plurality of cup-shaped members 40 joined at their open end by a web or wall member 41 having a recess between two cups to accommodate the shoulder 39 to orient the package on the support 25. Extending over the open ends of the cups and secured to the web 41 around each cup is a rupturable film 42 which seals each cup 40 of the package forming thereby a plurality of individual containers for the processing solutions used in the processing of the photographic film. The web 41 is shaped to fit between the vertical walls 30 and the front wall 28 positioning each cup of the package in a compartment of the support 25. This is best seen in FIG. 1 wherein the fragment of the package 26 is illustrated in plan view. The latch 32 engages the center cup 40 to maintain the package in a fixed position on the support 25.

The fluid receiving conduit 16 comprises a housing supported from the frame member 19 and positioned above a drip tray 45 which extends longitudinally of the frame 18 beneath the support 25. The housing 44 has an opening along the path of the support 25 which is large enough to be aligned with an aperture 29 in the front wall 28 of the support 25 and has an enclosed chute 46 forming the bottom thereof and extending to the discharge chute 15 positioned at the reservoir 5. Positioned within the housing 44 on a rotatable shaft 47 is a member 48 formed with a pair of prongs for perforating or rupturing the film 42 on the package. The member 48 when rotated by the shaft 47 toward the package 26 will perforate the film 42 adjacent each edge of the open side of a cup 40, i.e., at the lower and upper edge of the open end of the cut when on support 25, to allow the solution therein to drain into the tray 46, and to be discharged by gravity down into the discharge chute 15. The shaft 47 is rotated by a solenoid 50 supported on the frame member 19 and connected to the shaft 47 by a crank arm 51. A spring 54 normally biases the member 48 out of contact with the package 26.

If the film wash is water, it is stored in a reservoir 49 and is pumped by a pump 57 into the fluid receiving conduit 16 through an opening 52 in the housing 44. Thus the desired amount of wash water may be pumped directly to the reservoir and handled in the program for the machine as are other process steps.

When the support member 25 is positioned at the far left-hand side of the frame 18, a package 26 of chemicals may be inserted therein through an access door in the processor housing. A temperature sensitive variable impedance device 53 is supported by the frame 18 adjacent the support 25. Upon initial actuation of the processor through a power on-off or start switch 59 providing an input signal to a timer 60, the support 25 is moved toward the right to the position shown in FIG. 1, and a rib 35 aligns the first cup with the fluid receiving conduit 16. The sensing device 53 is then cammed by the support wall 28 into engagement with the film 42 over a cup 40 containing solution. If the solution is at a temperature within a presecribed range, e.g., 18 25C the sensing device 53 soon sends a signal to the control circuit that the processing can begin and a processing in progress indicator lamp is lit. A spring (not shown) normally biases the sensing device 53 out of contact with the package 26 except in this position.

The signal from the sensing device 53 starts the rotation of the film drive motor 12 and enables the fluid receiving means. The film may be placed into the reel by the use of a daylight loading device as disclosed in co pending application Ser. No. 429,540 filed Jan. 2, 1974 of Gerald E. Drake and Donald J. Mitchell, assigned to the common assignee of this application. Alternatively, the film is placed into the reel 6 in a dark room environment. In either event the film rotating in the reservoir 5 is now ready for processing and an input signal from the film loader that the film has been cut or that the film is loaded will energize the solenoid 50. The solenoid 50 will drive the member 48 to puncture the film 42 sealing the first container positioned opposite the fluid receiving conduit 16. The processing solution in the cup flows down the chute 46 to the discharge chute 15 and is dispensed into the reservoir 5. The temperature sensor 17 in the reservoir 5 will sense the temperature of this developer solution. The sensor 17 may be a thermistor as indicated in the temperature to fre quency converter 61. The film is to be agitated in the developer for some time interval which interval is varied with different temperatures of the developer. Thus the temperature to frequency converter 61 sends a pulse signal having a rate dependent on temperature to the timer which includes a preset counter. The timer 60 will thus assure optimum development time depending on the developer temperature and thus control the operation of solenoid 7.

After expiration of the time interval dependent on the temperature as sensed by sensor 17, the timer 60 energizes the solenoid 7 to dump the developer solution from the reservoir 5 into the waste receptacle 11. A drive motor 55 is then energized to drive a pinion 56 engaging the rack 34 advancing the support 25 along the frame 18 to position the second cup member 40 of the package 26 at the fluid receiving conduit 16. When the support is properly positioned a cam surface or rib 35 actuates a position sensing switch 63 supported beneath the support 25 on the frame member 20. This switch 63 will signal the timer 60 to stop the motor 55. The timer 60 will now energize the pump 57 and place a predetermined amount of water in the reservoir 5. After a number of seconds the water is dumped by energizing solenoid 7. The solenoid 50 is then actuated to rupture the film 42 sealing the second cup. If light reversal processing is used, lamps (not shown) near the reservoir 5 are energized for a prescribed duration during the second development. When the period for the second development is completed the chemical reservoir 5 is dumped again. The cycle then continues and water is pumped, dumped, the next cup is ruptured, the support is advanced, etc., in a presecribed manner to properly fix and bleach the film until the various chemical processing steps as provided by the various solutions in the package 26 are completed. Upon completion of the processing steps the film is dried in the reservoir or an indicator light indicates completion of the cycle and the operator can remove the reel 6 and place the film in an auxiliary dryer in the processor or dry it by other methods.

The processor also contains certain go, no-go interlock switches and/or sensors 65 in addition to the temperature sensing device 53. These switches or sensors may include devices to indicate water tank empty, waste receptacle full, waste receptacle out, door open, machine temperature high or low, and water temperature high or low. Any one of these devices will prevent operation of the processor until the desired condition is met. An indicator lamp may be placed on the panel to indicate each condition as ready or inoperative.

It is contemplated that various modifications may be made to the processor described hereinabove without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic film processor having a reservoir, support means for moving film through the reservoir, and means for supplying processing chemical to the reservoir, the improvement comprising a frame,

a support for a plurality of film processing solutions,

fluid means for receiving solutions from said support and for discharging solutions into the reservoir, said fluid means being supported on said frame adjacent said support,

means mounting said support for movement along a path past said fluid means, and

means for dumping solutions on said support into said fluid means.

2. A film processor according to claim 1 wherein:

said support is provided with spaced wall members defining a receptacle to receive a package comprising three or more sealed containers for film processing solutions.

3. A film processor according to claim 2 wherein said means for dumping solutions comprises means at said fluid means for rupturing the seal on a said package when said support has a desired one of said sealed containers positioned at said fluid means.

4. A film processor according to claim 1 wherein said processor comprises means for dumping solutions from said reservoir.

5. A film processor according to claim 4 wherein said reservoir is provided with a temperature sensitive variable impedance device for controlling the time a solution remains in the reservoir.

6. A film processor according to claim 1 wherein said support comprises a plurality of spaced wall members to support and orient a package having sealed containers of processing solutions, said frame comprises guide means for guiding said support along said frame past said fluid means, and drive means are provided for driving said support along said guide means and said support has means positioned to actuate a switch for interrupting said drive and stop said support at predetermined locations in relationship to said fluid means.

7. A film processor according to claim 6 wherein said means for dumping solutions comprises a member having a prong to rupture a said sealed container to drain solution fllerein into said fluid means, and drive means for driving said member toward said container.

8. A film processor for processing individual strips of film, said processor comprising:

support means comprising spaced wall members for receiving a package of processing solutions, said package comprising a plurality of sealed containers disposed in a row,

drive means for moving said support means along a path,

a reservoir having means for supporting a strip of film for movement in said reservoir,

means for dumping solutions from said reservoir,

fluid means for receiving solutions dispensed from said package on said support means and for discharging said solutions into said reservoir, said fluid means including means for rupturing a sealed container of a said package,

means for sensing .the temperature of the solutions in a said package and disabling the operation of said fluid means ifatemperature within a desired range is not sensed, andmeans for sensing the temperature of the solution in said reservoir and sending signals to control the actuation of said means for dumping solutions from said reservoir.

9. A film processor according to claim 8 wherein said support means comprises a frame member having a bottom wall, a front wall having apertures to expose the face of the package containers and said spaced wall members being supported on said bottom wall and positioned normal to said front wall and spaced therefrom, and clamp means for securing a package to said support.

10. A film processor according to claim 9 comprising:

shoulder means for locating a said package on said support. 

1. In an automatic film processor having a reservoir, support means for moving film through the reservoir, and means for supplying processing chemical to the reservoir, the improvement comprising a frame, support for a plurality of film processing solutions, fluid means for receiving solutions from said support and for discharging solutions into the reservoir, said fluid means being supported on said frame adjacent said support, means mounting said support for movement along a path past said fluid means, and means for dumping solutions on said support into said fluid means.
 2. A film processor according to claim 1 wherein: said support is provided with spaced wall members defining a receptacle to receive a package comprising three or more sealed containers for film processing solutions.
 3. A film processor according to claim 2 wherein said means for dumping solutions comprises means at said fluid means for rupturing the seal on a said package when said support has a desired one of said sealed containers positioned at said fluid means.
 4. A film processor according to claim 1 wherein said processor comprises means for dumping solutions from said reservoir.
 5. A film processor according to claim 4 wherein said reservoir is provided with a temperature sensitive variable impedance device for controlling the time a solution remains in the reservoir.
 6. A film processor according to claim 1 wherein said support comprises a plurality of spaced wall members to support and orient a package having sealed containers of processing solutions, said frame comprises guide means for guiding said support along said frame past said fluid means, and drive means are provided for driving said support along said guide means and said support has means positioned to actuate a switch for interrupting said drive and stop said support at predetermined locations in relationship to said fluid means.
 7. A film processor according to claim 6 wherein said means for dumping solutions comprises a member having a prong to rupture a said sealed container to drain solution therein into said fluid means, and drive means for driving said member toward said container.
 8. A film processor for processing individual strips of film, said processor comprising: support means comprising spaced wall members for receiving a package of processing solutions, said package comprising a plurality of sealed containers disposed in a row, drive means for moving said support means along a path, a reservoir having means for supporting a strip of film for movement in said reservoir, means for dumping solutions from said reservoir, fluid means for receiving solutions dispensed from said package on said support means and for discharging said solutions into Said reservoir, said fluid means including means for rupturing a sealed container of a said package, means for sensing the temperature of the solutions in a said package and disabling the operation of said fluid means if a temperature within a desired range is not sensed, and means for sensing the temperature of the solution in said reservoir and sending signals to control the actuation of said means for dumping solutions from said reservoir.
 9. A film processor according to claim 8 wherein said support means comprises a frame member having a bottom wall, a front wall having apertures to expose the face of the package containers and said spaced wall members being supported on said bottom wall and positioned normal to said front wall and spaced therefrom, and clamp means for securing a package to said support.
 10. A film processor according to claim 9 comprising: shoulder means for locating a said package on said support. 